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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Czech president's new treaty snag | Czech president's new treaty snag |
| (29 minutes later) | |
| The Eurosceptic Czech President, Vaclav Klaus, wants a new two-sentence footnote to be added to the EU's Lisbon Treaty before signing it, Sweden says. | The Eurosceptic Czech President, Vaclav Klaus, wants a new two-sentence footnote to be added to the EU's Lisbon Treaty before signing it, Sweden says. |
| The new condition came up during a phone conversation between Mr Klaus and Swedish PM Fredrik Reinfeldt, current holder of the EU presidency. | The new condition came up during a phone conversation between Mr Klaus and Swedish PM Fredrik Reinfeldt, current holder of the EU presidency. |
| Mr Reinfeldt said the requested footnote was linked to the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights. | Mr Reinfeldt said the requested footnote was linked to the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights. |
| Poland's president is to sign Lisbon in a ceremony on Saturday, officials say. | |
| Poland and the Czech Republic are the only EU states yet to ratify the treaty, which is aimed at streamlining EU institutions, to improve decision-making in the enlarged 27-nation bloc. | |
| The treaty has a reference to the Charter of Fundamental Rights, which covers a wide range of EU citizens' rights. The charter will become legally binding once Lisbon enters into force, although the UK has an opt-out from it. | |
| Mr Klaus has refused to sign the treaty until the Czech Constitutional Court rules on a new legal complaint against it, lodged by senators allied to him. | Mr Klaus has refused to sign the treaty until the Czech Constitutional Court rules on a new legal complaint against it, lodged by senators allied to him. |
| According to Mr Reinfeldt, Mr Klaus also wants the new footnote adopted by the European Council, the grouping of EU heads of state and prime ministers. | According to Mr Reinfeldt, Mr Klaus also wants the new footnote adopted by the European Council, the grouping of EU heads of state and prime ministers. |
| 'Wrong message' | |
| "I told him this is the wrong message at the wrong time for the EU. I told him clearly it is his ink on the paper that counts and I don't want this to delay the treaty going through as soon as possible," said Mr Reinfeldt, quoted by Reuters news agency. | "I told him this is the wrong message at the wrong time for the EU. I told him clearly it is his ink on the paper that counts and I don't want this to delay the treaty going through as soon as possible," said Mr Reinfeldt, quoted by Reuters news agency. |
| The Czech president told him he would sign Lisbon if he got the extra footnote and if the Czech Constitutional Court rejected the senators' legal challenge, Mr Reinfeldt said. | The Czech president told him he would sign Lisbon if he got the extra footnote and if the Czech Constitutional Court rejected the senators' legal challenge, Mr Reinfeldt said. |
| "We need clarification on exactly what he [President Klaus] is asking for," he added. | "We need clarification on exactly what he [President Klaus] is asking for," he added. |
| Mr Klaus's demand came only a day after the Czech Prime Minister, Jan Fischer, said he was confident ratification would be complete by the end of the year. | |
| The BBC's Dominic Hughes in Brussels says EU leaders will see the latest objection as another delaying tactic. | |
| They will be unlikely to go along with such a request, which runs the risk of opening up the whole ratification process once again - something they are desperate to avoid, our correspondent says. |